Koban, Book 1

We colonized 700 planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion room and the end of wars. We even disbanded our military. Then the Krall found us. The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the entire galaxy, through destruction and annihilation of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high-gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall tested humans for war capability.

Koban: Conflict and Empire

The Galactic Federation is confronted by the vast and implacable Thandol Empire, which has coveted the former Krall region of space for eons, a region of space now occupied and claimed by the upstart Kobani. Outnumbered, they face an opponent who possesses new and deadly weapons. An enemy that had thousands of years to develop the means to take on the Krall Empire, and now present the supermen with a weapon that turns their greatest genetic asset into their greatest weakness.

Koban Universe 2: Have Genes, Will Travel

For over a hundred years, Chisholm, a Rim World colony, has produced beef for most of Human Space, raising vast herds of a breed of Giant Longhorns. Things are changing, and land reform is demanded by small ranchers and farmers, placing restrictions on the existing open range policy. The wealthy large ranchers will stop this, any way they can, to preserve their profits. Passions are high and the opposing sides have turned violent.

At the Sign of Triumph: Safehold, Book 9

The Church of God Awaiting's triumph over Charis was inevitable. Despite its prosperity, the Charis was a single, small island realm. It boasted less than two percent of the total population of Safehold. How could it possibly resist total destruction? The Church had every reason to be confident of a swift, crushing victory, an object lesson to other rebels.

Crusade: Starfire, Book 1

Spacers call the warp point Charon's Ferry. No star ship has ever entered it and returned since a vengeful Orion task force pursued a doomed Terran colonization fleet into it in 2206. Almost a century has passed. The fiery hatreds of a quarter-century of warfare between the Terran Federation and the Zheeerlikou'valkhannaieeee, the cat-like species humans called the "Orions", have eased at least a little.

Metal Boxes - At the Edge

Ensign Stone's goals were to make his way in the Empire's navy, make his family proud of him, and make love to his fiancée. No matter which way he turned, someone was conspiring against him. Disgraced and humiliated, he is court-martialed, discharged, and abandoned. Accepting what he thinks is a lowly busy-work position on a beat up old family business space freighter travelling at the edge of human space, he hopes to earn back the trust and respect he lost.

A Learning Experience, Book 1

When a bunch of interstellar scavengers approach Earth intending to abduct a few dozen humans and sell them into slavery in the darkest, they make the mistake of picking on Steve Stuart and his friends, ex-military veterans all. Unprepared for humans who can actually fight, unaware of the true capabilities of their stolen starships, the scavengers rapidly lose control of the ship - and their lives.

Steel World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 1

In the 20th century Earth sent probes, transmissions, and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers....

The Ember War: Publisher's Pack, Books 1-2

The Ember War, book 1: The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance. In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission: to determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada. The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.

Wizard Scout: Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles, Book 3

Richard is only in his junior year at the Academy, but it may well be his last. The war with the bat-like Crosioians is straining the resources of the Intergalactic Empire to the breaking point. Every soldier is needed on the front lines to stave off the Empire's destruction. Not to mention politicians are eyeing the Academy as a financial drain that can no longer be justified. To top things off, teams of spell-wielding magic users have been spotted reconnoitering near the Academy.

Sol: The Silver Ships Series, Book 5

Sol's warships paid the ultimate price for threatening the Haraken and New Terran worlds. Now, Haraken president Alex Racine and his Méridien partner, Renée de Guirnon, are engaged in a desperate gamble to stop a war between their worlds and United Earth's (UE) massive forces before it starts. What's Alex's grand plan? He hasn't a clue, but his people believe in him and hope he will find a way to protect them.

Hard Lessons: A Learning Experience, Book 2

Fifty years after Steve Stuart and his friends captured an alien starship, the Solar Union is a thriving interstellar power while Earth is increasingly backward and falling into barbarism. For two youngsters from Earth, the Solar Union offers the only chance they will ever have to make something of their lives.

The Black Sheep: A Learning Experience, Book 3

In the wake of Earth's collapse into chaos, Captain Hoshiko Stuart made the mistake of speaking her mind - and was exiled six months from Sol to a naval base in an unexplored and uncontacted sector. Placed in command of a single squadron of starships, she expected nothing but boredom. But when she discovers an alien race threatening to exterminate all other races within the sector, Hoshiko and her squadron are drawn into a war to stop them.

ALICE Resurrection: Alice, Book 3

Colonel Jake Thomas has a mess on his hands. The losses on Klinan have gutted an already short-staffed defense force, and his people are scrambling to prepare for a possible attack, directly on Earth. Combined with the seemingly erratic behavior of Sara, his number-one go-to girl, he is struggling to keep up. Now, with unexplained transmissions originating in Europe, and an Alien visitor with questionable motives, he is awash in new challenges on Earth and in space.

Bold: Kris Longknife, Book 14

Despite her role as a fleet admiral and protector of a planetary system, Kris is still beholden to her great-grandfather King Raymond's commands. She has been personally selected for a mission that will, should she succeed, save millions of lives. The Peterwald Empire is in the midst of civil war. On one side is the tyrannical empress; on the other is the last person Kris ever wants to see again: Grand Duchess Vicky Peterwald. Due to their shared history, the emperor believes Kris can mediate between the factions and bring about peace.

They Shall Not Pass: The Empire's Corps, Book 12

Despite the escape from Meridian - and a strike at the heart of Wolfbane - enemy forces are still advancing on all fronts. The Commonwealth, worn down by a year of hard fighting, is reaching the end of its tether while Admiral Singh, having secured control of Wolfbane, is searching for the breaking point that will shatter the Commonwealth once and for all. Time is needed, time to bring new weapons and tactics into service, but time is the one thing the Commonwealth doesn't have.

W. DYER says:"It was good to see Nuttall get back to his great story telling"

Work Experience: Schooled in Magic, Book 4

In the summer between second and third year at Whitehall, Emily accompanies Lady Barb on her rounds of the Cairngorm Mountains, bringing magical help to the locals and searching for new magicians. For Emily, tired and broken after the events of Study in Slaughter, it should be a chance to relax as well as to visit a new part of the Nameless World, to put her responsibilities aside and just be herself. But the locals aren't quite what she expects, with problems of their own, and Lady Barb is a different person away from Whitehall.

The Battle of the Void: The Ember War, Book 6

The Xaros drove humanity to the edge of extinction. Now, an immense alien fleet is on the way to Earth to end the human race. Earth's defenses are in shambles. The planet needs time to ready for the next invasion, time it doesn't have. The Xaros are en route to Earth, and it will take a daring mission to buy Earth the chance it needs to survive the next attack. While a fleet of brave men and women prepare to face down the Xaros, the Breitenfeld travels to an ancient world where the key to ultimate victory lies buried beneath the crimes of the enigmatic Malal.

Shadow of Victory

Sometimes things don't work out exactly as planned. The Mesan Alignment has a plan - one it's been working on for centuries. A plan to remake the galaxy and genetically improve the human race - its way. Until recently things have gone pretty much as scheduled, but then the Alignment hit a minor bump in the road called the Star Empire of Manticore. So the Alignment engineered a war between the Solarian League, the biggest and most formidable interstellar power in human history.

Wizard Cadet: Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles, Book 2

Richard, a cadet at the Intergalactic Wizard Scout Academy, is on assignment to retrieve a defecting scientist on a planet deep behind enemy lines. In theory, it should be a simple in-and-out mission. But as Richard learned long ago, nothing is ever simple. With a deadly Crosioian scout hot on his trail, Richard soon finds himself stuck with a couple of super-genius children who may hold a secret that could mean the salvation or destruction of three galaxies.

The Lost Colony: Lost Starship Series, Volume 4

We fought the invading New Men to a standstill and defeated the alien destroyer sent to obliterate Earth. The worst should be over, but it's not. Perfect android replicas are impersonating high-level officials so trust is failing. Worse, the New Men have found allies with an impenetrable stealth technology. This time, however, Earth is going on the offensive. Admiral Fletcher is headed to C Quadrant with a Grand Fleet. He's to liberate the captured planets and find the enemy homeworld.

Alien Arcana: Starship's Mage Series, Book 4

When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes. His investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.

Battle Cruiser: Lost Colonies, Book 1

One starship will either save Earth or destroy her. A century ago our star erupted, destroying Earth's wormhole network and closing off trade with her colonized planets. After being out of contact with the younger worlds for so many years, humanity is shocked when a huge ship appears at the edge of the solar system. Our outdated navy investigates, both curious and fearful. What they learn from the massive vessel shocks the planet.

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners

With New Orleans out of control, Chad Oliver Gardenier, one of Monster Hunter International's premier hunters, has been dispatched from Seattle to reinforce the beleaguered members of MHI'S Hoodoo Squad in their fight against the darkness.

Publisher's Summary

When the enemy discovers their hidden home, Mirikami is forced to lead 117 Kobani ships in a desperate attack against 3,000 Krall ships and uncounted warriors. Armed with a 22,000-year-old computer virus, and sheer courage, they must disable every enemy ship and weapon. The last time this tactic was tried against them, the Krall eradicated the entire Olt'kitapi civilization.

That's just one foe the Kobani face. The PU president rejects diplomatic recognition of the new Galactic Federation, and diplomat Mirikami is ordered arrested for genetic crimes and for provoking Krall attacks on Hub worlds. To reveal the president's duplicity in a secret deal with the Krall leader, he accepts a life or death challenge fight with an old enemy, right on the capitol steps, with news cameras rolling.

Then, proving the galaxy remains a dangerous place, the huge Thandol Empire, a former Olt'kitapi enemy, forcefully announces that its elephantine rulers intend to annex the Orion Spur. That happens to be where both the Kobani led Galactic Federation, and Human Space reside. Naturally, the Kobani decline the Empire's violently phrased demands, doing it in their typically harsh and forceful manner.

In leading up to that confrontation, the Kobani learn the basis of the Empire's claim to Federation Space, and it predates the Krall conquests. The prior owners may have a claim. The Empire's initial punitive reaction to Kobani rejection reveals they have a pain causing nerve weapon, used for crowd control in the Empire. This mild sounding weapon proves to be devastating to those with organic superconducting nerves. Life on Koban could be wiped out by a riot control ship.

In Book 5 of the series, Steve Bennett takes us to an whole new level of strange alien fun time! (Hang on to your support post!)

Everything the Kobani have learned and achieved in the 20 plus years since the start of the Krall invasion is finally turned on their enemy. With the technical support of their alien friends on Haven, the Kobani have added even more enhancements, and have a far great number of new Kobani in their ranks, as they desperately pursue the Krall and their deadliest weapon yet, through human space in a frantic effort to save the human home world: EARTH!

And just when the Kobani thought it might be safe to go home and start a Federation of their own, new neighbors come to call . . . and they're not nice guys!

The action is non-stop, the aliens are stranger than ever, and it ends with a very surprising "BANG!" (Every time I read this book I think it's my favorite in the series -- but that's how I feel about all of the books!)

HEY KOBAN FANS!!!: Book 6 is hot off production and should be cleared for Audible purchase by November 15th -- still with Eric Michael Summerer as the narrator!

Koban 5: A Federation Forged in Fire expands the story from the first four books and serves as a transition between the previous story arc and the next. The narration brings the characters to life, and the era of the Kobani seems secure as they bring humanity onto the galactic landscape. I'm looking forward to Koban 6!

It ended without a finish. After a long wait to know what happened and how it ended, It left you up in the air. It was as if you were swimming to shore and when you though you were 4 FT from the sandy beach , you realize the beach was an illusion.

Would you consider the audio edition of A Federation Forged in Fire to be better than the print version?

I can't say that Forged in Fire is better than the printed version, just a different perspective. I always read a book in print before listening to one on audible. Eric Summerer brings the book to life again. I listen in the car, listen while gardening or cleaning, and if I can stop listening long enough, it's very relaxing. I absolutely love both reading and listening to the Stephen Bennett Koban series and look forward to each addition.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Of course, I particularly like Mirikami, but my favorite characters are the Rippers. Mr. Bennett has given each a personality and a back story. We learn of their mother from the first book when she gets trapped in the human camp behind an electrified fence while she pregnant with two cubs. Fantastic read. Not to be missed.

Which character – as performed by Eric Michael Summerer – was your favorite?

Mr. Summerer gives all of the character an extra element. He is somehow able to breathe new life into each character - never distracting, only contributing to the character's personality.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Don't see the movie without reading and listening to the Koban series first!!